Commodity Basses for Studio

[DinoRock]

Suppose there is a studio being set up that will be used for a wide audience, from demos by high-school garage bands to the next multi-platinum album by <name your own artist>.

Suppose you are charged with purchasing 4 new commodity basses (nothing custom; no Alembics, Carvins, etc - just run down to a local super store and purchase 4 new off-the-rack mass produced basses).

Suppose again that when the band showed up, they had no gear with them and were required to use what you purchased with no modifications other than the strings you had the music store install (yes, they did a proper tune up after string installation).

1. What 4 new commodity basses would you provide for use to your clients? Be specific and decisive

2. What strings would you put on each?

Let's assume your job of selecting basses for studios depends on customer satisfaction.

Let's have some fun...

(Note: there is no connection between this scenario and my reality.)

 

[JimmyM]

Four??? You're lucky to find even one in most studios!

Anyway, my choices would be:

Precision
Jazz
5-string with actives
Some sort of hollowbody

 

[bholder]

If you're going to have 4, one should be a lined fretless. I like JimmyM's list otherwise.

 

[JimmyM]

Sorry, forgot strings:

Dunlop Super Bright nickels on everything but the hollowbody, which would get some sort of flats.

 

[13lues]

1. Fender Precession
2. Fender Jazz
3. Ibanez AFB200 Hollowbody
4. Rickenbacker

 

[13lues]

I'm a fan of GHS strings. Flats on the hollow body and the P bass. Rounds on the jazz and rickenbacker.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Fender Precision - Flats
Fender Percision - Rounds
Fender Jazz - Flats
Ric - Rotosound

 

[Luke19Boarder]

P-Bass
Jazz Bass
5 string (Musicman?)
Some sort of fretless

 

[Doctor J]

Tribute L2000, fretted, with Elixirs
Fretless Jazz with Elixirs
5 string Line 6 Variax bass with Elixirs
Buy some decent amp plugins with the rest

 

[tangentmusic]

Fender Precision - Flats
Fender Percision - Rounds
Fender Jazz - Flats
Ric - Rotosound

This-
Except rounds on Jazz for me

 

[garmenteros]

A precision with flats, a jazz with rounds, an active 5 string with rounds (either ernieball, g and l, warwick streamer), and a fretless.

 

[jbd5015]

MIA 60's Precision with TI Rounds
MIA 60's Precision with TI Flats
Music Man Big Al 5 with TI Rounds
MIA 60's Jazz Fretless with TI Flats

If you cant get everything you want tonally from them, well lets just say it say it starts with an F and ends with an ED.

 

[mikeyjm2]

P w/ rounds
Fretless P w/ flats
J w/ rounds
Ric w/ rounds

 

[Dave W]

Fender Precision
Fender Jazz
EBMM Stingray (4 or 5)
Something 5 string with dual soaps, like a Modulus Q5

Strings?
D'Addario Nickels
Maybe a set of flats for the P or J

 

[Timmah]

Fender Precision with TI Jazz Flats
Fender Jazz with Rotosound Roundwounds
EBMM Stingray with GHS Boomers
Ibanez Terra Firma with Dunlop SB Nickels

maybe.

 

[davegt666]

Fender PJ w/rounds
Fender P w/flats
Fretless Fender Jazz w/flats
MusicMan StingRay 5 string w/rounds

 

[Jack Butler]

P-Bass
Jazz Bass
5 string (Musicman?)
Some sort of fretless

Remove the "?" from the MM and you got it

 

[Scooberto]

Fender P with DR Hi Beams
Fender J with DR Low Riders
If I couldn't find a decent priced Warwick 5 string fretless with fret lines, I'd pick up a Squier 5 string fretless Jazz with DR Sunbeams
Washburn AB40 acoustic/electric bass with Fender Tape wounds.
I could only hope that my choices would suffice for a studio producing such a broad range of music.

 

[ZachariahLee]

Fender P rounds
Fender P flat
Fender J rounds
Active Fender J 5 String Jazz rounds

(Skip on the fretless: My main reason is a fretless takes some time to master. If you took the time to master it, you probably own one. There is nothing more frustrating than watching someone struggle with a fretless to keep it 100% in key while recording. )

 

[MultiScaleMale]

P bass flats
P bass rounds
J bass
5 string Musicman